Author: Charles Frank

How to Detox from Alcohol at Home

If you are experiencing symptoms of delirium tremens (DT), contact emergency services immediately. Symptoms of DT include confusion, changes in blood pressure, excessive sweating, fever, hallucinations, and seizures. The detoxification timeline varies based on the severity of the alcohol addiction. If your doctor thinks you might be going through alcohol withdrawal, they’ll ask you questions about your drinking history and how recently you stopped. They’ll want to know if you’ve ever gone through withdrawal before.

The time it takes to taper will depend on how long you’ve been drinking, how much you’ve been drinking and a variety of personal factors. You may be able to detox at home and still attend outpatient therapy or support group meetings. The brain compensates for the depressive effects of alcohol by increasing its activity. When people who are dependent on alcohol drink, they feel normal. Healthcare providers typically prescribe short-term medications to relieve the symptoms of mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal. Many individuals who struggle with alcohol addiction are also battling other medical conditions such as depression, anxiety, or personality disorders.

Supplementing with vitamins and minerals is also important because long-term alcohol consumption and dependence can deplete these elements, particularly the B vitamins. Detoxing from drugs or alcohol without professional help is known as a self-detox. You can choose to taper your substance use or go “cold turkey.” In either case, you won’t have outside support or treatment.

Dangers and Risks of Self-Detox

Because he is a member of a support group that stresses the importance of anonymity at the public level, he does not use his photograph or his real name on this website. BetterHelp can connect you to an addiction and mental health counselor. You can even use this as an opportunity to develop healthier habits. Overall, having a hobby you’re passionate in can improve your mental health. Having little to no access to alcohol can help you stop drinking.

1. Many involve a combination of group psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medications.
2. Keep a list of emergency phone numbers on hand that includes contact info for your doctor, the police, a nearby hospital, and someone you trust.
3. It’s difficult to predict who will and who won’t experience alcohol withdrawal — and how severe it will be.
4. If you begin to experience serious withdrawal symptoms, drink enough to make the symptoms subside.
5. It slows down brain function and changes the way your nerves send messages back and forth.
6. Most people with mild to moderate alcohol withdrawal don’t need treatment in a hospital.

Many people attempt to self-detox at some point, and it’s often a string of failed attempts of self-detoxing that lead an individual to enter rehab in the first place. That’s not to say, however, that people haven’t successfully self-detoxed from alcohol on their own. Daily drinking can have serious consequences for a person’s health, both in the short- and long-term. Many of the effects of drinking every day can be reversed through early intervention.

The withdrawal symptoms will be treated with various medications to help mitigate the physical and emotional discomforts of detox. Many of the withdrawal symptoms, such as fever, nausea and vomiting, can be alleviated with OTC medications. Alcohol detox usually requires a prescription drug such as Ativan or Valium to help reduce anxiety and the threat of seizure. Naltrexone is a prescription drug that is often used during detox that helps reduce the severity of withdrawal symptoms and alcohol cravings. Alcohol withdrawal symptoms can be safely managed via a supervised medical detox in the comfort of one’s own home. There is no need to admit oneself into a detox facility and undergo the process in a sterile, unfamiliar environment.

Can I prevent alcohol withdrawal?

But some people choose to manage alcohol withdrawal themselves. Here are suggestions for how to get through alcohol withdrawal at home. Before beginning a tapering schedule, speak with your doctor about the risks of detoxing at home.

At-home alcohol detox is especially dangerous for people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). A medical detox with support and supervision can drastically increase the chances of a successful recovery. Gradually tapering your alcohol use helps ease withdrawal symptoms and reduce alcohol cravings. Tapering increases the length of the detox process, but it might be better for you in the long run. Severe and complicated alcohol withdrawal requires treatment in a hospital — sometimes in the ICU.

Make sure you drink plenty of fluids during this time as it will help rehydrate your body and get rid of toxins. Water, juice, broth, ice pops, and gelatin are good choices for hydration during the early stages of withdrawal. By Buddy TBuddy T is a writer and founding member of the Online Al-Anon Outreach Committee with decades of experience writing about alcoholism.

Keep a list of emergency phone numbers on hand that includes contact info for your doctor, the police, a nearby hospital, and someone you trust. And consider joining a support group such as Alcoholics Anonymous. You’ll likely need other treatments for related health issues. Each of these symptoms can increase in intensity depending on the severity of the withdrawal.

Treatments for Alcohol Withdrawal

It teaches you healthy ways to cope with stress and techniques for overcoming the underlying causes of alcohol addiction. If you have alcohol use disorder and want help, a healthcare provider can guide you to resources and rehabilitation programs to help you quit. Know that your provider will be there to support you, not to judge you. Alcohol withdrawal causes a range of symptoms when a person with alcohol use disorder stops or significantly decreases their alcohol intake.

Although an at-home detox can be intense, there are ways to mitigate severe side effects. However, it’s important to contact medical professionals when an emergency occurs. Eating healthier helps your body heal from the effects of alcohol. It also ensures your body has proper nutrition to maintain stamina during the stress it will go through during detox.

Self-Detox vs. Medical Detox

Making alcohol difficult to access can help you avoid temptation and increase the chances of a successful detox. Common medications include benzodiazepines to help treat symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, and seizures. You might also take anti-seizure meds and antipsychotics, along with other drugs. Alcohol can stay in your system for several hours depending on how much you drink. Once it begins to leave your body, early symptoms of withdrawal begin. Many involve a combination of group psychotherapy (talk therapy) and medications.

However, individuals who suffer from alcohol addiction require professional rehab. Some people avoid medically supervised rehab because they prefer natural remedies for alcohol withdrawal. Slowly tapering off alcohol is the safest way to naturally overcome alcohol withdrawal, and many at-home remedies can help you cope with mild withdrawal symptoms. However, medical treatment is necessary to treat major symptoms of withdrawal. When they suddenly quit drinking, the brain continues its hyperactivity, but alcohol no longer suppresses the effects. This can cause seizures and delirium tremens, a severe form of withdrawal marked by tremors and hallucinations.

You do not have to have reached a crisis point to check into detox. If you or a loved one is in need of mental health treatment, call to speak to a Treatment Specialist. We will connect you with an affiliate mental health treatment center, Alter Behavioral Health, that will provide a free confidential telephone assessment. We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here.

This dependency happens as a result of continued alcohol consumption that triggers increased tolerance for the substance. As the body adjusts to the regular ingestion of alcohol it begins to require increasingly higher quantities. Eventually, drinking becomes necessary just to avoid the discomfort of withdrawal symptoms that commence when one tries to stop. If you’re addicted to alcohol, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to recover without some form of addiction treatment.